Pay Virginia TANF-UP units the TANF standards of assistance in every year

changelog.d/fix-9987-va-tanf-up-standards.fixed.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Pay Virginia TANF-UP (two-parent) units the TANF standards of assistance and maximum payment in every year, as the Appropriation Act's floor for two-parent families requires, instead of the July 2020 TANF-UP schedule.

policyengine_us/parameters/gov/states/va/dss/tanf/payment/up_grant_standard/in_effect.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+description: Virginia pays two-parent families the separate Unemployed Parent standards of assistance, instead of the regular standards, under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program if this is true.
+
+metadata:
+  unit: bool
+  period: month
+  label: Virginia TANF-UP separate standards of assistance in effect
+  reference:
+    - title: 2020 Appropriation Act (HB 30, Chapter 1289), Item 350 C
+      href: https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/item/2020/1/HB30/Chapter/1/350/
+    - title: 2024 Appropriation Act (HB 6001, Chapter 2), Item 325 C
+      href: https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/item/2024/2/HB6001/Chapter/1/325/
+    - title: Virginia TANF Manual Transmittal 68 (July 1, 2020), Section 304, Appendix 3 added
+      href: https://web.archive.org/web/20210202151340/https://www.dss.virginia.gov/files/division/bp/tanf/manual/Transmittal_68.pdf#page=6
+    - title: Virginia TANF Manual Transmittal 71 (July 1, 2021), Section 304, Appendix 3 removed, page 3-4
+      href: https://web.archive.org/web/20210720071052/https://www.dss.virginia.gov/files/division/bp/tanf/manual/Transmittal_71.pdf#page=3
+    - title: Virginia TANF Manual (7/24), Section 304.1 - Standards of Assistance
+      href: https://www.dss.virginia.gov/media/vdss/benefit-programs/documents/tanfview/tanf/Chapter-300---Need-and-Amount-of-Assistance.pdf#page=19
+
+values:
+  # The Appropriation Act (Item 350 C in 2020, Item 325 C in 2024) requires
+  # that the basic benefit payment for two-parent families "shall not be less
+  # than what they would have received under TANF". The separate TANF-UP
+  # schedule (Section 304, Appendix 3) existed only from July 2020 to June 2021
+  # (added by Transmittal 68, removed by Transmittal 71), and it was below the
+  # TANF schedule. Two-parent units therefore get the TANF standards in every
+  # year.
+  1996-01-01: false

policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/va/dss/tanf/eligibility/va_tanf_income_eligibility.yaml

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # VA TANF Income Eligibility Tests
 # Two-step test:
 #   Step 1: va_tanf_gross_income <= need_standard
-#   Step 2: countable_income <= grant_standard (or up_grant_standard if UP eligible)
+#   Step 2: countable_income <= grant_standard (also for UP eligible units,
+#   unless the separate TANF-UP standards are in effect)
 
 - name: Case 1, no income is eligible.
   period: 2023
@@ -58,34 +59,35 @@
     # Step 2: 7,000 <= 6,000? NO (fails step 2)
     va_tanf_income_eligibility: false
 
-- name: Case 5, UP eligible uses UP grant standard.
-  period: 2023
+- name: Case 5, in 2021 UP eligible units use the TANF grant standard.
+  period: 2021
   input:
     state_code: VA
     va_tanf_gross_income: 8_000
     va_tanf_need_standard: 12_000
-    va_tanf_countable_income: 4_500
+    va_tanf_countable_income: 5_500
     va_up_tanf_eligibility: true
     va_tanf_grant_standard: 6_000
     va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 5_000
   output:
     # Step 1: 8,000 <= 12,000? YES
-    # Step 2 (UP): 4,500 <= 5,000? YES
+    # Step 2 (TANF standard): 5,500 <= 6,000? YES
+    # (5,500 is above the TANF-UP standard of 5,000)
     va_tanf_income_eligibility: true
 
-- name: Case 6, UP eligible but countable exceeds UP grant - not eligible.
-  period: 2023
+- name: Case 6, in 2021 UP eligible units above the TANF grant standard are not eligible.
+  period: 2021
   input:
     state_code: VA
     va_tanf_gross_income: 8_000
     va_tanf_need_standard: 12_000
-    va_tanf_countable_income: 5_500
+    va_tanf_countable_income: 6_500
     va_up_tanf_eligibility: true
     va_tanf_grant_standard: 6_000
-    va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 5_000
+    va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 7_000
   output:
     # Step 1: 8,000 <= 12,000? YES
-    # Step 2 (UP): 5,500 <= 5,000? NO (fails step 2)
+    # Step 2 (TANF standard): 6,500 <= 6,000? NO (fails step 2)
     va_tanf_income_eligibility: false
 
 - name: Case 7, only calculate for VA.
@@ -142,32 +144,62 @@
     # Step 2: 6,001 <= 6,000? NO (just above boundary)
     va_tanf_income_eligibility: false
 
-- name: Case 11, UP eligible with countable exactly at UP grant standard.
-  period: 2023
+- name: Case 11, before July 2020 UP eligible units with countable at the TANF grant standard are eligible.
+  period: 2019
   input:
     state_code: VA
     va_tanf_gross_income: 8_000
     va_tanf_need_standard: 12_000
-    va_tanf_countable_income: 5_000
+    va_tanf_countable_income: 6_000
     va_up_tanf_eligibility: true
     va_tanf_grant_standard: 6_000
     va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 5_000
   output:
     # Step 1: 8,000 <= 12,000? YES
-    # Step 2 (UP): 5,000 <= 5,000? YES (at boundary)
+    # Step 2 (TANF standard): 6,000 <= 6,000? YES (at boundary)
     va_tanf_income_eligibility: true
 
-- name: Case 12, UP eligible with countable $1 above UP grant standard.
+- name: Case 12, before July 2020 UP eligible units $1 above the TANF grant standard are not eligible.
+  period: 2019
+  input:
+    state_code: VA
+    va_tanf_gross_income: 8_000
+    va_tanf_need_standard: 12_000
+    va_tanf_countable_income: 6_001
+    va_up_tanf_eligibility: true
+    va_tanf_grant_standard: 6_000
+    va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 7_000
+  output:
+    # Step 1: 8,000 <= 12,000? YES
+    # Step 2 (TANF standard): 6,001 <= 6,000? NO (just above boundary)
+    va_tanf_income_eligibility: false
+
+- name: Case 13, in 2023 UP eligible units use the TANF grant standard.
   period: 2023
   input:
     state_code: VA
     va_tanf_gross_income: 8_000
     va_tanf_need_standard: 12_000
-    va_tanf_countable_income: 5_001
+    va_tanf_countable_income: 5_500
     va_up_tanf_eligibility: true
     va_tanf_grant_standard: 6_000
     va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 5_000
   output:
     # Step 1: 8,000 <= 12,000? YES
-    # Step 2 (UP): 5,001 <= 5,000? NO (just above boundary)
+    # Step 2 (TANF standard): 5,500 <= 6,000? YES
+    va_tanf_income_eligibility: true
+
+- name: Case 14, in 2023 UP eligible units above the TANF grant standard are not eligible.
+  period: 2023
+  input:
+    state_code: VA
+    va_tanf_gross_income: 8_000
+    va_tanf_need_standard: 12_000
+    va_tanf_countable_income: 6_001
+    va_up_tanf_eligibility: true
+    va_tanf_grant_standard: 6_000
+    va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 7_000
+  output:
+    # Step 1: 8,000 <= 12,000? YES
+    # Step 2 (TANF standard): 6,001 <= 6,000? NO
     va_tanf_income_eligibility: false

policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/va/dss/tanf/integration.yaml

@@ -144,7 +144,13 @@
     # Need standard (Group III, size 4): $1,178/month
     va_tanf_need_standard: 1_178
     #
-    # UP Grant standard (Group III, size 4): $513/month
+    # TANF grant standard (Group III, size 4): $589/month, the 7/20
+    # Section 304, Appendix 2 (Transmittal 68) standard
+    va_tanf_grant_standard: 589
+    #
+    # Separate UP grant standard (Group III, size 4, Appendix 3): $513/month,
+    # not used: the Appropriation Act's floor gives two-parent units the TANF
+    # standard
     va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 513
     #
     # No earned income
@@ -159,10 +165,10 @@
     # Income eligibility: $0 <= $1,178? YES
     va_tanf_income_eligibility: true
     #
-    # Benefit (TANF-UP): $513 - $0 = $513
-    # Maximum UP (Group III): $648/month
-    # $513 >= $10 and <= $648, so benefit = $513
-    va_tanf: 513
+    # Benefit: $589 - $0 = $589
+    # Maximum (Group III): $745/month
+    # $589 >= $10 and <= $745, so benefit = $589
+    va_tanf: 589
 
 - name: Income exceeds need standard - Not eligible
   absolute_error_margin: 0.01
@@ -616,7 +622,13 @@
     # Need standard (Group II, size 3): $836/month
     va_tanf_need_standard: 836
     #
-    # UP Grant standard (Group II, size 3): $363/month
+    # TANF grant standard (Group II, size 3): $417/month, the 7/20
+    # Section 304, Appendix 2 (Transmittal 68) standard
+    va_tanf_grant_standard: 417
+    #
+    # Separate UP grant standard (Group II, size 3, Appendix 3): $363/month,
+    # not used: the Appropriation Act's floor gives two-parent units the TANF
+    # standard
     va_tanf_up_grant_standard: 363
     #
     # No income
@@ -625,8 +637,8 @@
     # Income eligibility: $0 <= $836? YES
     va_tanf_income_eligibility: true
     #
-    # Benefit (TANF-UP): $363 - $0 = $363
-    va_tanf: 363
+    # Benefit: $417 - $0 = $417 (Group II maximum $625)
+    va_tanf: 417
 
 - name: Single person household (pregnant woman)
   period: 2021-01
@@ -727,3 +739,49 @@
     #
     # Not eligible
     va_tanf: 0
+
+- name: TANF-UP family of eight in Group III in 2025 gets the TANF maximum
+  period: 2025-01
+  input:
+    people:
+      person1:
+        age: 35
+        is_disabled: false
+      person2:
+        age: 33
+        is_disabled: false
+      person3:
+        age: 12
+      person4:
+        age: 10
+      person5:
+        age: 9
+      person6:
+        age: 7
+      person7:
+        age: 5
+      person8:
+        age: 3
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [person1, person2, person3, person4, person5, person6, person7, person8]
+    tax_units:
+      tax_unit:
+        members: [person1, person2, person3, person4, person5, person6, person7, person8]
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [person1, person2, person3, person4, person5, person6, person7, person8]
+        state_code: VA
+        county_str: ARLINGTON_COUNTY_VA
+  output:
+    # Both parents are able-bodied, so the unit is a TANF-UP unit.
+    va_up_tanf_eligibility: true
+    # No income.
+    va_tanf_countable_income: 0
+    va_tanf_income_eligibility: true
+    # TANF standard (Group III, size 8): $933 * 1.155 = $1,077.615
+    # The TANF standard and the TANF maximum apply:
+    # min($1,077.615, ceil($745 * 1.155) = $861) = $861
+    # 7/22 Section 304, Appendix 2 (Transmittal 74): min($1,079, $861) = $861
+    # (the TANF-UP maximum would be ceil($648 * 1.155) = $749)
+    va_tanf: 861